


Hematoma

by BugheadjonesTheThird



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Abuse of Physical Power, Consolation, F/M, I'm probably exaggerating with the tags, Riverdale, Traumatic Experiences, Violence against women, bughead - Freeform, there's nothing gore or anything like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-11 16:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13527828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugheadjonesTheThird/pseuds/BugheadjonesTheThird
Summary: Based on the prompt from @bughead-fanfic-wishlist on tumblr - "Jughead breaks up with Betty when he starts getting in deep with the Southside Serpents. After a few weeks, Betty decides to try and move on and get a new guy in her life. Everything is okay, at first, until her new boyfriend turns out to have violent streak. Jughead regrets their break up and starts to get worried about Betty’s new guy."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really don’t know why I did this, but it’s done! I’ve been working on this for a couple of weeks now, and this story messed up with my emotions a lot. It’s certainly a delicate theme and I've tried to handle it the best way I could, trying to focus more on the supporting side of the trauma than the violent act itself. And even if I’m just me, I think it’s important to spread the word: 
> 
> Violence SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED. You don’t solve things like I did in this story, but this is a fictional thing, okay? I really don’t know what else to tell you regarding all these moral matters, but I really hope you all enjoy this! Get ready for some angst and some emotions, okay?
> 
> Also, my beta is still busy, so… Go easy on me, guys.

 

To every stranger who saw her in that booth, Betty Cooper was just a normal girl enjoying her freedom after another day of school. They would see her as any other student, who had dropped by the diner to enjoy a vanilla milkshake and read a few chapters of her book before heading home to do her chores.

 

To anyone, she was just another girl enjoying her youth.

 

But Jughead Jones knew her better than that.

 

It was Wednesday afternoon, and Betty Cooper was supposed to be at the Blue and Gold office working on another one of her wonderful articles. She had been all alone in that booth for almost two hours now, and she had barely touched her vanilla milkshake that rested forgotten on the table in front of her. Her green eyes were glued to the book she was reading— the same book from 3 weeks before— and every now and then, she would spare a glance to her wrist watch. Her blonde ponytail was messily tied above her head, her heart shaped lips were forming a pout, and the long-sleeved cardigan she was wearing was certainly not appropriate for that hot, summer day.

 

There was something really wrong with her, and apparently, he was the only one who could see. Amongst all those people who were simply enjoying a burger and some fries, Jughead Jones— from that hidden booth in the corner— was the only one who could _really_ see her.

 

She is Betty Cooper, after all. The only girl he’s ever going to love, and the one girl he was stupid enough to let go.

 

And now, as he watched her there, suffering in silence, there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to walk over there and wrap his arms around her shoulders so she could drop the perfect girl act. He wanted to tell her to let go all of her frustrations, and he wanted to hold her until she could smile again.

 

Once more, Jughead wanted to be the shoulder she could cry over. However, her tears didn’t belong to him. Not anymore. Not when she had someone else.

 

Yes, as impossible as that could sound, Betty Cooper had found herself a new boyfriend after he broke up with her. For what Archie had told him, the guy was a year younger and had recently joined the Bulldogs. He had a really strong arm for pitching, kept almost all of his grades above average, and after Jughead joined the Serpents at South Side High, he had spent a lot of time chasing after the girl next door. Jughead certainly didn’t like the idea of having a guy checking on Betty behind his back, but he knew it wasn’t up to him to complain about a person that could actually be good to her.

 

Unlike him, that jock was closer to her world than he would ever be, and that alone was already a positive thing. He would keep her away from that reality of bikes and leather jackets, and hopefully, one day, he would take her away from that town that would never truly recognize her talent. Jughead knew, though, that no one would ever love her as much as he does, but his love had already proven itself to be quite damaging for her, therefore, the raven haired boy figured it was time for Betty to be more than just loved by a guy.

 

She deserves more than that, and based on his ginger best friend’s words, Jughead believed Tom could actually offer her _more_.

 

However, _her_ brunette best friend didn’t share the same opinion as her boyfriend.

 

According to Veronica, Tom was a misogynist fuckboy, who loved his reflexion more than he could ever bring himself to love Betty. He loved to walk around and expose her like a trophy he had somehow managed to win, and he certainly loved all the attention he was getting because of her. The teachers were treating him differently, Principal Weatherbee had chosen him as a model student, and it was as if the entire school started respecting him after he started to walk around with his arm wrapped around her waist.

 

They were the new power couple of Riverdale High.

 

Jughead certainly didn’t like that image, and he liked it even less when Kevin told him that Betty had been quite distant after she and Tom started dating. All that new information had left him worried, and even if Archie was trying to keep him calm, there was just no way Jughead wouldn’t go after his own answers.

 

He went after Tom and talked to many people to gather enough opinions, and when he discovered the blond jock would be meeting Betty at Pop’s, he knew he had to analyze the boy with his own, investigative eyes so he could properly judge the one who was supposed to be responsible for her happiness. He had chosen his favorite booth, and had been basically waiting with her for the arrival of her new boyfriend.

 

And after waiting for almost 2 hours, apparently, Veronica was closer to the truth than his naive best friend. 

 

After his nth cup of coffee— because he had already stopped counting— _just_ watching Betty’s expression became almost impossible. He wanted to pull her out of that diner and take her somewhere else so she would just stop waiting for a douche who hadn’t called or texted her to explain the reason why he was so late. Of course, maybe Jughead was misunderstanding something, or maybe he just didn’t know the whole story, but still, his intuition told him Tom was actually making her wait that long on purpose. Even if they had had a fight, and even if she was the one who messed up, there were no excuses for him to do what he was doing. It’s his job as her boyfriend to go after her and fix things.

 

It was his job as her boyfriend, or at least that was what Jughead kept repeating inside his head for the last hour in order to hold back any impulsive urge.

 

_You have nothing to do with that anymore._

_It’s none of your business._

_Betty can take care of herself._

 

_Betty— oh, fuck._

 

As soon as his eyes saw her hands dropping her book and curling themselves into two fists, Jughead knew he couldn’t just keep watching anymore. He quickly stood up, leaving behind all his belongings and his food, not wasting a single second until he was standing in front of her. Her eyes were closed, so she didn’t notice him, and she only stopped applying force in her already white knuckles when he softly held her hands in his. Her eyes opened immediately at the touch, and he could see how shocked she was when she realized he was the one kneeled in front of her.

 

Not that she wasn’t already familiar with the warmth of his hands.

 

“ Jug…”

 

“ It’s okay, Betts.” He reassured her, caressing her hands and slowly uncurling her fingers. Apparently, her nails hadn’t pierced her skin yet, and he let out a relieved sigh once he realized that. “ It’s okay. Just breath. I’m here with you.”

 

From such a small distance, Jughead could see better how different she actually looked from the Betty he has always known. There were dark circles around her eyes, her lips— her soft, heart-shaped lips he has kissed oh-so-many times— seemed to be bruised, and she was wearing an exaggerated amount of powder and foundation around her cheeks. She seemed so fragile at that moment, and while she did what he told her to, it was as if her eyes were screaming for help.

 

It felt as if she wanted to be rescued.

 

But from what?

 

He kept his eyes focused on her, as if she had suddenly become an important clue to a new mystery in his hands. Betty looked scared and more apprehensive to his touch than he has ever seen her, and after almost 3, whole minutes, it was as if she finally realized what was actually happening at that moment. Her eyes widened, he heard her gasping, and suddenly, she forced her hands away from him before it was already too late. The blonde, then, quickly stood up and proceeded to gather her things so she could leave— so she could run away.

 

“ Betty, where are you going?” He asked, concern evident in his voice as he stood up from is previous position. His eyes were on the back of her neck, and he realized she wasn’t wearing her golden cross necklace her mother once gave to her. “Tell me what’s happening.”

 

“ I-It’s nothing, Jug.” Her voice was rushed and it held a certain strictness he had never heard from her before. “ I was just waiting for Tom and he’s just arrived.”

 

“ Arrived? Betts, come on. We know this is not true. You’ve been here for almost two hours now and he still hasn’t arrived. I’ve been here, too, okay?”

 

“ You have?” She turned to face him, worried, green eyes widened and lips parted.

 

“ Yes… I know it sounds creepy, but… I just wanted to know if you’re okay and right now I’m glad I followed my intuition. Tell me what’s wrong. You know you can trust me, right?”

 

Her eyes softened for a while, but they still reflected a certain sorrow and regret he couldn’t quite understand. She bit her lower lip as if to consider saying something, but the negative shake of her head told him she quickly changed her mind. “ Thank you, but… It’s really nothing. Besides, he’s outside… waiting for me.” She said, the last part coming out almost as an unsure whisper.

 

“ What?” He immediately looked outside, and surprise took over his face as soon as he saw the boy outside with other guys that were probably his friends. They were leaning against a red truck, laughing their asses off as they all had cans of beer in hands.

 

Apparently, Tom was too busy with himself to care about the fact that his girlfriend had been waiting for almost two hours just a couple of steps away from him. Jughead didn’t know for how long he had been out there, having fun with those people, but judging by the pile of cans that was forming next to them, it was easy to say he had been there long enough to allow his girlfriend’s insecurities to take over her.

 

He had been there long enough for her to feel bad about whatever the hell was troubling her, and at that moment, the raven haired boy just wanted to go out there and yell some sense into that asshole for leaving her alone.

 

Jughead wanted to punch him. Oh— but there was no time for that. Not when she was still trying to run away from him and to that idiot.

 

“ Do you want me to go with you? You don’t look well, Betts.”

 

“ N-No. It’s fine, Jug, really. I’m fine. I’ll just go over there to meet Tom. He is… my boyfriend, after all.” Her words held no emotion behind them, and according to her face, they hurt her more than they hurt him. Even if she was uselessly trying to mask her problems with that painful smile Alice taught her, Jughead could still see that there was something really wrong with her, and there was no way he would just let her walk away from him in that state.

 

No, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t simply watch her falling apart with his arms crossed.

 

“ Betty, I don’t think you should go over there right now. Come on, let me take you home.”

 

“ Don’t be ridiculous, Jughead. I am _fine_.” She pressed, though he wasn’t sure those words were actually for him. “ I’m just stressing over nothing again.”

 

“ If it’s troubling you, Betty, then it’s not nothing. Come on, let me help you. You know I care about you.” He looked at her, his eyes filled with tender and concern, and for the second time since he approached her, Jughead was able to see a hint of hesitation in her actions. For a moment, she actually considered his words, showing him that her trust in him was still there, even if the _real_ Betty Cooper wasn’t. 

 

Just a little more and he knew she would eventually open up to him.

 

_Just a little more, Betts;_ he thought, taking a step closer to her.

 

But as if in a snap, all his apparent progress fell apart and whatever it was that he thought he had seen in her eyes was gone. Fear was spread around her green orbs again like she was a prey and being watched by a predator, and suddenly, Betty was back to her defensive mode. “ I-I should be going. I shouldn’t be here talking to you.”

 

“ What? What does that even mean?” He didn’t understand what she was trying to say, and he could feel his heart racing inside his ribcage in pure aprehension.

 

She was going to slip away from him.

 

“ I already told you it’s nothing, Jug. I really have to go now. And please, don’t follow me outside.” She continued, taking some steps towards the front door of the diner.

 

“ Hold on, Betty! I can’t just let you go like that! Stay here, with me.” He followed her close, his breath caught upon his throat.

 

“ I really can’t stay, Jughead. I’m sorry.” Tears suddenly pooled around her eyes, and it was as if a knife stabbed him in the chest. “ I’m _so_ sorry!”

 

“ Wait, Betty!” He said, as she took more steps away from him.

 

She was leaving him. 

 

_Damn it, she is going away_!

 

“ _Wait!_ ”

 

Jughead really didn’t know what overtook him at that moment, but when his eyes caught the girl trying to slip away without further explanation on the evident suffering in her face; the Jones boy didn’t think twice before holding her by the wrist. It all happened too fast, as in an involuntary move, and he knew he didn’t apply strength at all when doing so, making the whole thing something a lot more visual than physical.

 

He just wanted her to stay.

 

But a painful scream was the only thing he got from her.

 

The sound wasn’t that loud, but the painful look that took over her face was the one thing that scared Jughead the most. He felt her entire body reacting to his touch as she involuntarily curled up, and the tears she had been holding streamed down her face as soon as she closed her eyes in that hurtful reflex.

 

Betty was crying in front of him, now. She was crying out of pain because of how he touched her, and all that exaggerated— yet truthful— reaction left Jughead completely speechless and shocked.

 

She scared him to death, and as soon as their eyes met again, he could see a different kind of fear spread across her face. There was something she wasn’t telling him, and that _something_ was probably the reason behind that desperate and terrified reaction of hers. It was probably the reason why she seemed so fragile and powerless, and— fuck, he just needed to know what it was.

 

Jughead needed to know what it was that was eating her alive, so he could put an end to her suffering and bring back his old, Betty Cooper.

 

He had to discover her secret.

 

And even if he didn’t want to admit it, the raven haired boy already had his suspicious.

 

“ Betty… What—“

 

“ I’m sorry, Jug.” She wiped her tears with enough strength to leave red marks on her cheeks, finally turning away from him and walking out of the diner. His eyes remained glued to her small form as she made her way towards Tom, and for a moment, it was as if the entire atmosphere around him went mute.

 

His feet wouldn’t move anymore. He couldn’t breath normally, and his ears weren’t able to listen to the longing sound of the bell attached to the door. He was screaming inside his head to move and do something, but his body just wouldn’t obey him no matter what. At that moment, Jughead couldn’t care less about the world around him anymore, as he could only watch in disgust as Betty— the girl he _loves_ — slowly made her way towards that douche she now called boyfriend.

 

He saw as she approached him and his friends with delicate movements, and judging by his disapproval face, Tom didn’t seem happy to see her so soon. She kept her head hanging low as her teeth bit her lower lip, and at that moment, when she looked back at him, he could see regret spread around her face.

 

Betty regretted looking back, he could tell. She regretted looking back at him in search of some kind of comfort, and she certainly regretted doing so in front of her boyfriend. As soon as his green eyes realized what they were doing— what _she_ was doing— Tom’s face changed into something more possessive and he brutally pulled her face closer with his fingers, forcedly pressing his lips against hers in a kiss that Betty certainly didn’t approve.

 

She was pushing him away. She had her small, bruised hands pressed against his chest, and even from afar he could see the way she was fighting that neanderthal to free herself from his grasp.

 

Jughead wanted to punch him at that moment. He wanted to push him away from her, and he wanted to teach that jerk not to treat her like that. 

 

Jughead wanted to kill him.

 

But at that moment, both boys only held each other’s glares in a challenging way. They were preparing themselves for a fight that would, eventually, happen, and he could feel Tom’s provocative eyes telling him that the prize was already in his hands. The jock wrapped his arm around the girl, and with a disgusting smirk on his face, started to walk away from the diner with his girl next door, leaving behind a very angry and pissed South Side Serpent.

 

Tom was going to pay for that. He was going to pay for doing that to Betty, and he was going to regret challenging him like that. He is Jughead Jones, after all, and that idiot had no idea of what he was capable of if he was pushed to his limits. Nothing else mattered anymore, and he couldn’t care less about that ridiculous civil war that had pushed them away from each other with all those stupid threats and useless attempts of protecting one another.

 

Jughead was going to use all his power to find out exactly what had happened to Betty, and god forbid, if that asshole had dared to hurt her— to truly _hurt_ her— the Jones boy would show him no mercy.

 

That night, Jughead couldn’t bring himself to sleep. He kept tossing and turning, throwing the covers away and cursing everyone— including himself— as the whole thing kept replaying inside his head like a broken record.

 

_Broken eyes, broken smiles and broken tears._

_The broken songs of the broken Betty._

 

But he was going to fix her.

 

He was going to save her.

 

_-to be continued_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support you've been giving me with the comments! It's a difficult theme to explore and even if I'm still afraid of all the reactions, I'm growing a bit more confident right now.  
> The whole thing gets a little more problematic in this chapter, so brace yourselves! Hope you enjoy it, and please, tell me what you think!

As it was already expected from the law that rules his troubled and screwed life, the worst case scenario ended up being the real one. After almost a week of investigating and learning everything about Thomas Redford— or just Tommy, as his female friends like to call him— and to say he was pleased about what he found out would be a huge lie. With the help of some of his Serpents comrades, the raven haired boy was able to find evidences of his troubled past, and thanks to Veronica, who was basically working as a spy for him now, Jughead found out the one thing he feared the most.

 

Tom was hurting Betty. He was using not only his words and arrogant personality, but also his strong, calloused hands to do so. He was leaving her all bruised and marked in the outside, and he was slowly destroying the fearless and kind girl they all know and love. She was literally being tamed with pure, brutal force, like a beautiful, wild animal that gets spanked just so it can behave and draw the marveled eyes of the outside world.

 

_They see her beauty, but not her scars._

_They hear her voice, but not her screams._

_They see a man, but not the monster._

 

Oh— but his eyes aren’t just like the rest, no. His eyes are directly connected to his heart when it comes to her, and that’s why he can never just _see_ her. Not when she's the living mystery he will never really solve.

 

Through the time they’ve spent together, and even after that, Jughead has learned that there’s a lot more than just that pretty girl facade she can’t seem to destroy. Underneath the good grades and the cheerleading uniform— under her delicate skin and brilliant smiles, there’s a girl who’s capable of changing the entire words with her strong ideals and her wise words. There’s a girl in there who suffers a lot more than she should and whose tears won’t ever be seen by the mass of people who depend on her.

 

There’s a perfectly imperfect girl, who’s just trying to follow her heart, no matter how many times the world decides to break it.

 

Jughead loves this girl. He wants to keep her safe and he wants to see her conquering everything she dreams of.

 

He wants to see her happy. _Truly_ happy.

 

However, when he saw all those horrible pictures Veronica had managed to scoop after the cheering practice, Jughead knew he would have to do more than just observe her.

 

He would have to _do_ _more_.

He would have to _be_ _more_.

 

And as he marched towards Riverdale High, the young Serpent could feel all that change taking over him. He got angrier with every step, his eyes were sharper, his heart was beating faster, and his mind was entirely set on what he would do as soon as he came face to face with that bastard. His hands were shaking in pure anxiety, the taste of iron took over his tastebuds, his breathing didn’t seem to be following any kind of pattern, and as much as he was irritated— and oh, he was _more_ than just irritated— Jughead was also scared like he had never been before in his life.

 

Waves of panic and horror had invaded his troubled heart, telling him to go faster and faster, because every minute she was left alone in that school with Tom, something could be happening to her. Something really bad could be happening at that very moment, and once again, he wouldn’t be there to defend her. Once again, he wouldn’t be there for her while that asshole abused her and broke her in ways that could never be fixed again.

 

He could be tearing her apart at that very moment, for all he knew.

 

And if anything, that thought just made Jughead want to break all of his bones with his bare hands.

 

That bastard was going to pay for it. Tom should’ve never laid a hand on _his_ Betty Cooper.

 

After what felt like an eternity, the Jones boy finally arrived at the evil lair he used to attend every day. For the first time, he crossed those hallways with his leather jacket, proudly exposing the green serpent that showed everyone he wasn’t alone. There’s an army ready to fight and die with and for him now, and judging by the look on the students’ faces, it was possible to say they all understood that perfectly well. They wouldn’t look him in the eye in pure fear, and even if none of them really knew why he was invading their safe monotony, it was clear that something bad was about to happen.

 

Blood was about to stain the walls of the town’s most prestigious school, and he would be lying if he said that retrograde idea didn’t affect him at that moment. It was thrilling and endearing, and — fuck, he could just feel himself getting swollen by all those revengeful thoughts that were flooding his mind.

 

He wanted revenge. He wanted to punish violence with violence because, at that moment, punching the hell out of that bastard was probably the only thing that would be able to make him feel at least a little better.

 

By doing that— by showing him what happens when someone messes with his precious person— he would finally allow himself to look her in the eye again. He would rid himself of his own shame for letting it all happen to her, and he would be able to take the first step towards a safer and less fucked up reality with her by his side.

 

He was doing it for them. Even if it was wrong and equally brutal, he was ready to abandon all his beliefs and ideals in order to pursue that revenge.

 

And no one could stop him anymore.

 

For he knew the athletes were still busy with their practice routine, Jughead wasted no time before heading towards the football field. He opened doors and more students lowered their heads while he passed, and he would’ve reached his destination in no time if not for the first familiar face that actually stared back at him. Her hair was red like fire, but her yellow uniform didn’t intimidate him. Not anymore. Not at that moment.

 

“ Jones. To what do we owe you the pleasure of visiting our school? Don’t tell me you’re here to vandalize our property with your new friends.” Cheryl said, her brown eyes on his, and a hand resting on her hip. As always, she seemed to be trying to get the best of him and to use her words to impose a certain superiority like so many times before.

 

She was basically being the same, arrogant girl he’s known his entire life.

 

But he’s certainly not the same, passive boy she used to know.

 

“ Knock it off, Cheryl. I don’t have time for you now. Where’s Betty?”

 

“ Looking for Barbie? Sorry, she’s busy with Ken now and I wouldn’t interrupt them if I were you. ”

 

“ Cheryl.” His voice raised a quarter, turning somehow huskier and holding a threatening tone that left even the Blossom girl a bit intimidated. His eyes twitched when she mentioned Betty was somewhere with Tom and somehow, he managed to look even angrier than before. “ I’m not gonna ask again. Where are they?”

 

By the look on her face, it was possible to see that, just like him, the girl was trying her best to analyze his entire expression and figure out why he was actually acting like that. Cheryl wasn’t afraid of him, but at that moment, it was clear that not even her inner fire would be able to burn his soul. He was serious and he had an objective to pursue, and somehow, she just knew it was important. Call it previous experiences or Blossom intuition, but Cheryl _knew_ that whatever his business with his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend were; there was a twisted sense of justice guiding him.

 

She couldn’t stand in his way. Not when she knew how far one could go for the person they love.

 

The Head Cheerleader swallowed dry and let out a sigh she didn’t know she was actually holding. Her fingers moved to trap a lock of her ginger hair behind her ear, and when she looked back at him, her eyes seemed to be holding a certain compassion to his cause. “ They went behind the new bleachers principal Weatherbee is installing. When the football practice ended, he took her there.”

 

“ Got it.” He nodded, and that was the closets thing to a ‘thank you’ he would manage to give her at that moment. He appreciated Cheryl’s help, but there was just no way he could actually behave like a normal person. Jughead didn’t waste time before resuming his march, passing through her and not bothering to spare her another glance, not even if he could feel her apprehensive eyes on him.

 

“ I’ll go call Archie, okay?” She shouted, when he was already steps away from her. There was a strange shake in her voice, and if anything, that only made him speed up his pace.“ Hurry up, Jughead!"

 

His heart started to beat even faster after her words, and his hands were turned into tight fists by the time he reached the football field. His eyes started scanning the area, finding some of the players still talking to coach Clayton and even some cheerleaders gossiping around or practicing moves on the grass. There were people taking away the used equipments and the balls, and after a couple of seconds, he was finally able to find the said bleachers Cheryl had mentioned.

 

Without hesitation, he stormed towards the hidden place behind the bleachers, and Tom’s sweaty back was the first thing he saw. Another wave of anger rushed over him, and it only got worse when he saw that the jock was actually pressing Betty against the metallic skeleton behind her. He had his head ducked in her neck, and he could see the disgust in her face as she kept her hands in between them. She was caged by his arms, and the vision of his hands slowly making their way down her lower back infuriated Jughead to levels he could not measure.

 

She was suffering at that moment. She was being overpowered by that monster, and he could see the scared expression spread around her face. Betty was afraid— of course she was. All those things were happening too fast and without her approval, and she had no power to fight back at that moment.

 

She was terrified, and as soon as her green, teary eyes met his blue ones, Jughead could see as they basically screamed for help.

 

And unlike before, now he knew exactly what to do.

 

“ Jughead…” She said, struggling to breath and trying to free herself from Tom. His eyes flared with a new flame, and it was as if his animal side had awoken inside him.

 

The shock of seeing the Cooper girl in that situation was quickly replaced by his protective instincts, and before he knew it, Jughead was running full speed towards them. He charged a punch and he could feel as his knuckles made their way through Tom’s cheekbone, catching him by surprise. “ Get off of her, you bastard!” Jughead screamed, rage running through his veins, as he managed to take him away from the girl.

 

The raven haired boy stood still in between Betty and her assaulter, and he watched with cold eyes as Tom was a little curled, his hand over his cheek and blood staining his clear skin. It took a while for the jock to recover, but when he did, it was possible to see things weren’t going to be that easy for the young Serpent.

 

The blond was considerably bigger than the Andrews boy himself. His muscles were outlined by his white, dirty shirt, and the blood on his cheek only made him look more primitive than before. “ Oh, Jones…” His green eyes were mockingly looking at Jughead, and the smirk that slowly grew on his face made the Serpent hate him even more. “ You shouldn’t have done that.”

 

“ I’m not afraid of you, Tom.” He stepped forward, a challenging expression spread across his face. He could feel Betty’s worried stare on his back, and at that moment, he was fighting back the urge to turn at her and ask if she was okay. _Of course she wasn’t,_ he thought. And because of that, he knew more than ever that he had to keep her safe, no matter what. “ You’re gonna regret hurting Betty. You’re gonna pay for this.”

 

“ Oh, and who’s gonna make me pay? You?” He scoffed, licking his lower lip in a provocative way. His eyes darted from Jughead to Betty, and at that moment, just looking at Tom looking at her was making him sick. “ You wouldn’t be that stupid to mess with me without your snake buddies. Especially not for her. She’s definitely not worth it.”

 

“ You better shut up, Tom.”

 

“ Why? Come on, Jughead! We’re both men who now share different experiences regarding Betty Cooper. We should be bonding over this, right?”

 

“ Shut up.” Jughead said, his voice lower in warning.

 

“ Jug, don’t—“ She tried to speak, her lips trembling as she did her best to express her thoughts.

 

“ I really have nothing against you, man. I was even gonna reach out to ask you for advice regarding _our_ Betty, you know.” Jughead’s blood was boiling now, and as the jock got closer to him, he was trying his best not to fall for Tom’s stupid game. He was clearly in physical disadvantage, and he would need to figure out a plan to handle the fight that would eventually break off.

 

Jughead had to _think_ if he wanted to teach Tom a lesson.

 

But even with his skin as tick as a serpent’s, not even him was immune to his own feelings.

 

“ You see… “ Tom continued, his eyes looking at her body is a disgusting way. “ Between you and me, how did you make her open her legs? This one really is hiding her game from me, because we’ve barely kissed properly since we started dating. She’s certainly hard on the fall, if you know what I mean.”

 

The smirk, the wink and the meaning behind his words ended up being just too much for him. His pupils contracted, his heart was racing inside his chest and the last thing he remembered was Betty’s widened eyes as she looked at him before he tackled Tom to the ground. His arms wrapped around the jock’s waist in a fast move, and following his pure instincts, Jughead managed to send both of them to the ground, thankfully landing on top.

 

He could faintly hear as she screamed his name, but Jughead was too busy punching Tom’s arrogant face to actually _listen_ to Betty. His knees were resting on either sides of his enemy, his body was keeping both of them down, and his levels of adrenaline were too high at that moment for him to actually feel any pain as his fists came in touch his the blond’s face. Pure hatred lead his actions at that moment, and every time he punched Tom with full force, it was as if his heart skipped a beat in delight.

 

It felt good.

Fuck— it felt way _too_ good.

 

Blood dripped from his knuckles, and soon, a smirk played on his own lips. “ Don’t you ever get near her again, you hear me?! You scum! A fucker like you don’t deserve to be in the same room as her!”. A frenzy of brutal hatred blinded him at that moment, and it was as if he could feel himself embracing a new side of his personality that he had never allowed to see the sunlight before. It was barbarian and raw, and even if it would normally scare him to see himself surrendering to his own roughness— to see himself becoming like his own, troubled father— Jughead couldn’t stop at that moment.

 

He couldn’t.

He wouldn’t.

But he should, for it was like all the light was leaving his heart with every punch he threw at the jock’s face.

 

Jughead was losing himself in his own _darkness_. He was walking away from his own self, and— oh, how scared he was of never coming back. _Help_ , his heart screamed. _Help!_ He was begging, afraid of never really being heard like so many times before.

 

He needed help.

 

And in the same way he was helping her, she was ready to help him.

 

_Jug—_

_Jughe—_

_Jughead!_

 

Her voice could barely break through the rage barrier that had enveloped him at that moment, and he was sure he could feel a certain pull on his jacket every now and then. It grew stronger with every new pull, but it just didn’t seem strong enough to break him from that trance.

 

Her strength wasn’t enough to stop him— it never would be. However, as soon as the warm skin of her hands came in touch with his neck, it was if something snapped inside of him. What she did could be barely be called a touch, for chances were Betty didn’t even plan on doing anything like that.

 

She didn’t plan on touching his broken soul with her broken hands.

 

Yet, it was the one thing that opened his eyes in the middle of that bloody mess.

 

In the brief moment the stiffness of his body vanished, the Cooper girl was finally able to pull him, making both of them fall back on the grass. He had messily fallen over her lap, and only then he realized what was actually happening. Her perfume got mixed with the scent of iron and sweat, and as he looked up, he saw her face filled with despair and a certain bravery he had never seen before. Green eyes were fiercely set forward on the unconscious body in front of them, and he could feel her holding him down to her in a protective way. She was embracing his body, her left hand thrown over his chest and her right one— as he came to find out later— was holding a small, metallic bar, which, he knew, would be used if any threat came to him at that moment.

 

She didn’t blink and her chest was barely moving at that moment. He could see how focused she was, and even if it was good to see all the fear gone— even if it was good to feel _protected_ , that look on her face was certainly not how he wanted to see Betty at that moment. She was also being dragged to all that violent madness, but unlike him, there was still time to hold her back.

 

“ Betty…” His voice came out as a whisper, and it wasn’t until he reached his hand to touch her face that she actually relaxed. Her lips parted in a gasp, her hands started to tremble until she released the bar, and finally, when she finally looked down and their eyes met, the blonde allowed her tears to finally fall down her face. Salty droplets also fell over his cheeks, and at that moment, it was as if rain had decided to wash over all the harshness created by that dangerous heat.

 

“ J-Jug…” She sobbed, leaning down to rest her head over his, and he finally allowed himself to relax over her body. Deep, calm breaths were now filling his chest, and he could swear the world stopped around them. For the first time in history, the calmness came after the storm, and even if there was still a twisted feeling behind all that, somehow, they knew, they had taken the first step towards the solution of all their problems.

 

_Words still had to be said._

_Tears still had to fall._

_Bruises still had to fade._

 

_-to be continued_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the chapter? Was it really weird? Well, no matter what, hope you've enjoyed it! Please, if you have any ideas or basically anything you want to discuss, hit me up on the comments or on my tumblr page @bugheadjones-the-third ! See ya!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The last chapter and the end of all this drama I created for them. This was a really challenging story for me and all the positive support I've received was just incredible. Thank you all for sticking around with me through this considerable short ride, and I really hope I can reach your hearts with this!

Neither of them really knew for how long they had remained in that same position, breathing and holding each other, until their peace was finally disturbed by their friends. Archie was the first to show up, his eyes widening as soon as he saw all that mess, and as soon as Veronica, Cheryl, Reggie and a few other Bulldogs came up, it was as if they all had been staring at a crime scene. Tom was still laying on the ground, there was blood staining the grass around them and had the male ginger not stepped in, chances were that the other football players would’ve blamed the boy wearing the serpent jacket for the whole thing.

 

Veronica had also texted her boyfriend with the photos, and there was no way Archie would’ve just sat there and do nothing to get back on Tom. He would’ve probably done worse than Jughead did, for unlike the brave loner, the Andrews boy had Reggie Mantle and the Bulldogs by his side, and they were all ready to make that idiot pay for hurting the Cooper girl. Betty and Reggie might not be the closest friends, and he can actually be a jerk when he wants, but he would never let someone hurt her under his watch. They grew up together, after all. She had helped him countless of times with his math homework when he first started being friends with Archie, and that was a kind of bond that would make him kick someone’s ass for hurting her.

 

Everyone in Riverdale High would fight for Betty Cooper if she ever found herself in danger.

 

But apparently, no one was as fast as the boy from South Side High.

 

There was a certain turmoil around the athletes, and they all helped the couple stand up after they somehow managed to explain everything that had happened there. Veronica was on the verge of tears, and for the first time, Cheryl Blossom was the one who voiced out the orders to so they could all find a solution to their current situation.

 

She told the brunette to walk to Weatherbee’s office to inform the principal of what Tom had actually done to his precious student. The Blossom girl also made sure to tell the boys to take their future, ex-teammate to the school nurse, telling her it was all an unfortunate accident caused by the brutalities of the sport. Last, but not least, Cheryl made sure to clear the girls' locker-room so Betty could tend to his wounds and Jughead could wait until the dust settled so he could walk away without being caught.

 

Everyone did as they were told, and it didn’t take that long before Jughead found himself sitting in one of those long benches, both his leather jacket and beanie left aside, as Betty held a soaked towel to clean the mud from his face and the blood from his knuckles. He watched as she did everything with all the care in the world, for she knew as much as he did that the adrenaline levels in his body weren’t high enough anymore to make him not feel any pain. His knuckles were a mess now, and yet, even if he winced every now and then when the soap came in touch with it, his pain was certainly not his priority at that moment.

 

_She_ was.

 

Even if Tom was already gone from their lives, the scars left by him were still spread around her body. The images Veronica sent him— even if a little blurred— were enough to send chills down his spine due to imagining the whole thing actually happening to her. Betty has always been the more delicate girl he has ever known, and the idea of her skin stained in hematoma broke his heart into millions of pieces.

 

It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel palpable, and it certainly felt as if it was all just a lie and that those pictures were from someone else.

 

It felt surreal, and for him, it would never stop feeling like that until—

 

“ I want to see it.” His words came out as a whisper, and at first, he didn’t even realize he had actually voiced out those thoughts. He felt her hand stiffening, her eyes suddenly widened, and for a moment, he realized how that unintentional authoritarian tone affected her. Blue eyes also widened for a moment, but soon, they softened yet again as they came to meet green ones. “ I mean… Can I?”

 

The blonde didn’t say a single acceptance word to his question, but the way her eyes looked at him was the only confirmation he needed at that moment. There was a silent agreement hidden behind their irises, and even if there were also feelings such as shame and fear, both Betty and Jughead knew that if anything, their love would be stronger than any of that.

 

_Their love would keep her from fading in her own shame._

_Their love would keep him from running away in his own fears._

_Their love would keep them together through and through._

 

As the raven haired boy slowly moved his hand to the back of her left one, he could feel as she slowly surrendered to his touch. His heart was beating faster in anxiety, yet he managed to keep himself concealed as he slowly started to fold the white sleeve of her cheerleading outfit. Her eyes were focused on his fingers, and it didn’t take long before he saw a mix of purple and red creeping from under her clothes.

 

He could feel his heart breaking at every new inch of skin exposed, and he saw as tears started to pool around her eyes. She was biting her lower lip in apprehension, and at that moment, when he realized how uncomfortable that whole thing was making her, Jughead opted to stop around the middle of her forearm. His eyes had already seen enough for his broken heart to be convinced, and he figured there was no reason to keep on forcing their eyes to the same, bruised pattern of colors.

 

So it really was true, he thought. So that bastard had really gone that far to break her like that and to make her feel ashamed of herself because of him.

 

“ Why…?” He said, in a tone that only she could hear. “ Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

 

“….” She took a deep breath, finally releasing her lower lip from her teeth. “ I was ashamed…”

 

“ Of what, Betty? You don’t have to be ashamed because of what that bastard did to you. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

 

“ Of course there is, Jug. I-I… I could’ve left him. I could’ve done something to stay away, but I was stubborn and didn’t want to leave.” Her lips were trembling much like when they talked after his disastrous birthday party, and he could still see that there was something hidden deep within that was just destroying her.

 

There was more that she had to tell him.

 

And even if he didn’t want to force her to say anything, he knew she would never be free unless she let that out.

 

“ Then why didn’t you?” His voice was soft, and his eyes were on her face, trying to read her in the same way he always does.

 

“ Because of you.” She watched as his eyes widened in shock, not really understanding where she was trying to get with that. He wasn’t foolish enough not to recognize his own share of guilt in all that, but he was certainly not expecting her to tell him that soon— if ever, knowing how her selfless heart works. The raven haired boy, then, remained quiet, and she took that chance to let it all out. “ After… After you broke up with me, God— I was so angry at you, Jug. I was mad for seeing everything happening again and for seeing you let the world do as it pleased to our hearts! I tried to ratiocinate, I really did, but… But all that thinking just made even madder at you and at myself. And then, after a couple of weeks—“

 

“ You met Tom, right?”

 

“ Yeah, I did… And I already knew he was a jerk back then. Damn it, anyone could tell that after spending two minutes with him. I knew he would never be as good as you in anything, and perhaps that’s what made me choose him. I wanted to show you that I could be with someone else that was as labeled as me. I was going to turn him into the opposite of you, and that would… That was supposed to have made me feel better.” She bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to dig her nails into her palms. He could see the struggle spread around her face, and at that moment, something told him her story had just reached the point of no return.

 

“ What went wrong?”

 

“ Everything.” She smiled bitterly, licking her lips before continuing. She started shaking a bit, trying to gather courage to continue. “ My personal revenge was working just fine until the day when he… When he had one of his violent strikes. I knew I should’ve left that day. I knew I should’ve just talked to someone, but… I felt like I deserved that.”

 

“ Deserved?” His eyes widened and anger started to boil inside his veins. “ Betty, you would never deserve anything like that!”

 

“ Maybe you’re right, Jug, but… But I had no right to do what I did. I tried to use him to get revenge on you, and somehow, I got what I deserved.” Her face started to turn redder, and even if he was shaking his head in a way to tell her her words weren’t true, she started to nod in agreement. “ I deserved it, Jug. I knew I did, but then I lost control of everything and I saw myself getting cornered with every bad decision I made, and soon… Soon I was feeling like a coward.”

 

“ You were not a coward, Betty. That bastard was the one who cornered you with violence. He is the coward.”

 

“ I was the one who was scared, Jug. Scared of me, scared of Tom… I was afraid my life would forever be ruled by that constant fear and that I would— That _you_ would never be able to look at me like you used to. I was so ashamed of doing what I did… I still am. And god— I’m sorry, Jughead. I’m so so sorry.”

 

She started to bite her lip again, closing her eyes as to avoid looking at him, and he could see how truly broken she was. Betty was hurt in more ways than he could tell, but her physical bruises were probably the last of her concerns. She was afraid and ashamed for things that had more to do with her than with Tom, and at that moment, he didn’t know it was possible to get even madder at that jock for what he did to such a sweet and kind girl like her.

 

He had traumatized her. He had made her think that it was all her fault and that she would never really escape his hands. Tom had broken her in a way that not even all of her insecurities together had over the years, and Jughead just hated him so much for destroying everything she had built during the past few months.

 

Maybe he shouldn’t have stopped punching Tom. Maybe he should’ve just _killed_ that bastard, even if he had to face all those nasty consequences later. Maybe he should—

 

His thoughts were suddenly disturbed by the feeling of her wet tears falling over her wounded wrist and his fingers. His eyes widened in pure hurt, and just like back then, he felt himself being brought to his senses by her fragility.

 

Of course, he thought. There was no use in thinking about Tom anymore and all the other ‘What if’s that had been crossing his mind lately. Not when she was crying in front of him.

 

Not when she really _needed_ him.

 

Soft and almost inaudible sobs started to escape her throat, and in a blink of an eye, all of his hatred turned to compassion, and he could feel himself getting stronger, not because he wanted to, but because he _had_ to in order to bring her back from that hellhole the world had thrown her in.

 

Jughead had to be strong for her.

He had to be stronger so she could be stronger, too.

 

By the way her eyes widened, he could easily tell that the sudden brush of his fingers against her skin brought her back from whatever lightless place she had chosen to hide at that moment. She watched in awe as the tips of his fingers ghosted over her bruised skin, drawing irregular patters around it in an incredibly soothing way. He outlined the hematoma, tracing the blue web of veins near her wrist, brushing through her scared palms, and finally, placing his fingers in between hers. Jughead locked them there, making sure their hands were messily intertwined, and giving her a reassurance squeeze.

 

At that moment, Betty didn’t move a single muscle under his touch. She simply watched in awe and with her lips parted, as he embraced all that new ugliness and all those different colors that were now sewed to her body. Her heart skipped a beat, then, as he slowly lifted her wrist, bringing it to his lips so he could kiss all bruised places with all the delicacy in the world.

 

Jughead was kissing the new parts of her she was so ashamed of, and with that kiss, he was telling her that even with those bruises— that even with those memories and traumas— he would still love her in the same, unconditional way he always has, if not more. His eyes finally met hers as to prove his intentions, and for the first time, the tears he saw falling from her face held a certain hope in them.

 

She was feeling relieved, grateful and accepted; and just like when she first showed him her scars, Betty allowed herself to let go of all of her insecurities, slowly leaning in to capture his lips. It was a soft, chaste kiss that was immediately answered, and with that, it was as if they were sealing all their solved troubles away. With that hopeful kiss, she knew he was going to embrace that new, broken part of her until she could build herself back.

 

No matter what, he was still going to love her with all the same dedication, care and trust he always has.

 

No matter what, he will forever see her as his beloved Betty Cooper.

 

“ We’ll get though this, I promise.” He whispered, brining her head to rest against his chest and soothing the area behind her neck with his hand. “ You’ll be okay, Betty.”

 

And that is why she loves him so much.

 

_-the end_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did you cry? Do you hate the ending as much as you hate Tom? Whatever it is that you're feeling after reading this, please, don't forget to tell me! Your comments are really appreciated, and I'd love to know your opinion!  
> Again, thank you for everything! If you wanna discuss more of this story or anything else, you can also find me on tumblr at @bugheadjones-the-third !

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you've enjoyed the beginning of this story. I'll be posting the rest soon, so the waiting won't be long.  
> Please, leave me your honest opinion below, and forgive me if I've made a mess out of this. I really don't have a lot of experience on the matter, and constructive criticism would be really welcome! If you want, come find me on tumblr, too, at @bugheadjones-the-third


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